Jussie Smollett's TV return is attempt to change 'America's giant scam artist' label: expert

Fox News

2 hours ago

Jussie Smollett's career comeback hasn't been a walk in the park after his 2019 race hoax scandal.
In addition to a new Netflix documentary, Smollett, 43, will star in the upcoming Fox reality show, "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."
Brand expert Eric Schiffer exclusively told Fox News Digital Smollett's new gig appears to prove he's taking the right steps toward not only reclaiming his career, but changing the public perception of him by many as the "biggest scammer of all time," Schiffer said.
In the fourth season of Fox's ultimate celebrity social experiment, Smollett joins a number of stars who will take on grueling challenges while training from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process in Morocco.
All recruits on the show must "learn the art of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable as they are faced with training challenges across the country's expansive desert terrain," according to a show summary.
"That's a good choice for him because he's going to go through hardship and pain … so that actually is a good choice, I think, strategically for him," Schiffer said.
"For most people, he's seen as the biggest scammer of all time. He was seen as a fraudster who tried to use race to further his own brand love, and it was a giant fail. … Landed him in the septic tank of muck, and this is his attempt to shower and reintroduce him to America in an interesting path because he's putting himself on the line, something he's accustomed to with the trials and things that he's done. But, in a way, that will show what he's made of.
"For most people, he's seen as the biggest scammer of all time."
"He'll struggle, and those that don't like him will probably enjoy his suffering. And those that don't know him but may know of the story may identify with his journey on the show. But that's a good reentry point, it makes a lot of sense."
Smollett will compete alongside spotlight veterans, including "Sister Wives" star Kody Brown, Brittany Cartwright from "Vanderpump Rules," Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" matriarch Teresa Giudice and daughter Gia Giudice and former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel, to name a few.
Schiffer believes Smollett's next venture into the reality world will provide an opportunity for him to show "his humanity" in front of new viewers.
He also may acknowledge "pieces of where he screwed up or the pain that he went through in his life in a revealing way where the audience might care because they've already identified with his journey on the show," Schiffer said. "It's an opportunity — if he handles it right on the show — to win back some fans but also to build some new fans. So, it's a net positive.
"It can't get much worse for him. I mean, he goes into the show seen as America's giant scam artist based on how most people view him, so it's only up."
The Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett's hate crime hoax conviction in November, 10 months after he filed a petition asking the high court to intervene in the legal drama.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, reported to Chicago Police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks in January 2019.
"It can't get much worse for him. I mean, he goes into the show seen as America's giant scam artist based on how most people view him, so it's only up."
The manhunt for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett and his subsequent arrest on charges he'd orchestrated the attack and lied to police about it.
As Smollett takes steps to regain a place in the spotlight, Schiffer said Smollett is not unhirable.
"It opens the door. A lot of these producers don't want to go first because they don't want the radioactive degree to impact them with other decision makers," Schiffer said of Smollett appearing on "Special Forces."
A source told Fox News Digital Smollett's decision to return to his craft after the hoax is a symbol of his dedication.
"Jussie is stepping back into the art with the purpose and passion that some of us have always loved him for, bringing heart and soul to every note, every role and every story he tells," the insider said.
"That's the Jussie Smollett many of us have been waiting to see emerge from that chapter. It's time to turn the page."
Charges against Smollett were originally dropped. After special prosecutor Kim Foxx requested a new inquiry, the "Empire" star was convicted on five felony counts and later sentenced to 150 days in a county jail. He was also sentenced to 30 months of felony probation and ordered to pay restitution to the City of Chicago in the amount of $120,106 and a fine of $25,000.
The Illinois Supreme Court decided in November the special prosecutor's decision to retry Smollett violated his rights, and his conviction was overturned.
"Today, we resolve a question about the state's responsibility to honor the agreements it makes with defendants," Mark Geragos, Smollett's lawyer, told Fox News Digital at the time. "We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant's conviction."
"This was not a prosecution based on facts, rather it was a vindictive persecution, and such a proceeding has no place in our criminal justice system," another of Smollett's attorneys, Nenye Uche, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Ultimately, we are pleased that the rule of law was the big winner today. We are thankful to the Illinois Supreme Court for restoring order to Illinois' criminal law jurisprudence."